


Cotton Dreams

by axona



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Avian Au, M/M, Not in main pairing, Torture, Very brief and vague, Violence, Wingfic, non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 20:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9511850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axona/pseuds/axona
Summary: Yuri knew life from the inside of the cage at the Institution. No room for the wings they had driven into his DNA, no hope, no escape from the tortures of his life.Until Katsuki Yuuri and his Flock appear.--This is NOT from the Tumblr Avian AU or Maximum Ride! Inspired by The Lake House series, the adult-aimed pseudo-prequels of Maximum Ride by the same author.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my Lake House AU! I read Lake House by Patterson long before Maximum Ride and I loved the darker elements, the characters, the gender nonconformity of Max. I didn't know there was an Avian AU until after this but it's not inspired by that I apologize if that's what you came here for! Also nobody can tell me Fang and Yuri aren't super similar ahaha. 
> 
> WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: Very vague mentions of non-consensual sex, murder, death, torture.

The skies are black and angry, clouds gathering thickly until even the light of the persistent moon cannot pierce the canvas of collected moisture. Wind howls angrily through the valley, until the rain does not fall vertically in any normal fashion but is tossed around by the buffeting currents that whisper tales of hurricanes and windstorms. Things it could become if only given the chance. Creatures hide and hunker out of sight, away from the ghoulish wails of nature’s anger.

But the valley, with its characteristically pale skies and flourishing greenery, is a haven for more than the normal critters that exist in the wild.

In the ridges of the steep sides of the valley, two figures lean together where the rocks and the mountainside come together into an overhang shelter. If you were passing by, you would only see a flicker of gold and white, luminescent even in the absence of any forgiving light.

And that is why they’re here.

Yuri arches his shoulders, grimacing at the pull of his wet clothes against his skin. As he does so his wings expand and shiver, flicking moisture away from the filaments along the primaries. The wetness does nothing to damper the gleam of gold turned bronze, the interspersed shades of yellows and browns that darken upon the foremost bones. They contrast beautifully against the shivering figure huddled in his lap, and Yuri’s attention drops alongside his lips as large hands position his beloved closer against his broad chest.

“Yuuri,” he whispers against the howl of the wind, lips brushing against the frozen tip of the closest ear. The man trembles against him as surely as the foliage must bend and beg forgiveness of the gale just beyond Yuri’s shoulder. And though he is strong and gifted with flight and power that no mortal man could dream of, Yuri feels helpless as he hears the chatter of Yuuri’s teeth. It’s no noticeable sound - Yuuri is too selfless to ask for anything more than he has already been given, and Yuri pretends not to notice the tension in his jaw as he tries to cease the betraying sound.

Dark feathers shuffle around in the shadows of the overhang, moonlight skin and cinnamon eyes the only distinguishing features on a backdrop of ink. Yuri lifts a hand that does not hold Yuuri close, and lets his palm cradle the soft curve of Yuuri’s cheek. The man blinks slowly at him, body transitioning between stillness and shivers. It’s not a good sign.

Yuuri seems to sense his worry, if he cannot see it plainly written against the brow of Yuri’s face. The raven presses closer, chilled nose settling in the crook of Yuri’s collarbone. Breathing against the steady thrum of a pulse that flutters in the hollow of his throat. Yuri draws his wings away from the entrance, where he had been shielding them both from the wind and rain, and wraps Yuuri in the embrace as if he has four arms instead of two. They were not born this way, but they had grown up with their wings, and Yuri regarded them as limbs as naturally as his human ones.

Yuuri’s wings subside beneath Yuri’s pressure, dark crescents folding beneath golden until the tips cocoon around Yuri’s back. Holding him just as firmly back.

The rucking of their feathers together is peaceful and familiar. And though the weather leaves much to be desired, nesting is something they can always rely on to bring them peace. Their bodies weakly attempt to forge warmth in the minuscule gaps they allow to exist between their skin. Yuri lifts his hand to lay against the nape of Yuuri’s neck, pressing him close and rocking gently. Pebbles and half-buried rocks prickle at his thighs through his jeans, sure to leave bruises with Yuuri’s added weight on his hips, but it is a small price to pay if he can lull Yuuri to sleep. There is nothing he would not sacrifice for the man in his life, and the world had already proven that by trying to take anything and everything Yuri had ever loved in his life.

But Yuuri? No. That was one thing the world would have to pry from his cold, dead hands.

“Do you think they’ll find us again?”

The wavering voice seems to flood his ears in a way the rain cannot manage. Yuri grips the older man closer, desperation and directionless prayers singing in his thoughts. They’d been on the run since they’d escaped the institution, but they’d found snatches of peace that had lulled them into complacent happiness. Until the Erasers had returned, hunting them down relentlessly. Shattering every illusion of normality they’d managed to fool themselves with. Forcing them back to the skies, back to stealing and foraging just to survive. Back to only being able to rely on one another, as they were separated cruelly from their flock.

It didn’t matter. Yuri loved his flock, but Yuuri mattered so much more. He buries his nose in damp, dark hair and tries to suffocate the spasm of terror in his chest at the thought of losing him. As he almost had mere hours ago.

“I don’t know.”

What he wouldn’t give to have a different answer. To return to the little woodland they’d made their own, with its wide lake that froze in the winters and offered relaxing baths in the summer. To return Yuuri to the home they’d made, the nest they’d created together. Years of watching over their shoulders, and each week had chipped away at the tension in their shoulders until they’d stopped surviving and started living.

Yuri would give anything to give Yuuri that life back. To watch him laugh and coo with Victor, brushing noses and preening one another. To hear his gentle, worried chiding when Yuri and Mila would streak through the sky too close to the treetops in their latest race. To have Yuuri chase him away from the bathing reeds when he was caught peeking, cheeks red and laughter hiding in the crinkles of his eyes.

Yuuri doesn’t say anything more. They huddle together until the rain and thunder move on and leave them, with nothing but the wet valley to remember it by. They fall asleep tangled up together, lost but found, tired and aching and holding onto each other like letting go would mean drowning in the torrent that lulls them to uneasy sleep.

\------

_He first meets him in the cages. They line the walls, reinforced steel bars that the newcomers strip their fingers on in desperate attempts at freedom. Yuri watches them through cold eyes, watches their struggles dim and eventually cease as the mutations inevitably fail. They die in pain, their throats shredded from their screams until all they emit are hoarse cries for a relief the doctors will not provide. They watch him watching them, something like jealousy on their faces at the plumage of his wings, the life that clings stubbornly to his bones. He doesn't have the heart to snap at them as he used to, screaming that he wished he had their fate. That living in the institution is so much worse than a relatively quick, if painful, death._

_Victor and Mila are the only other avians. Both older, both bedraggled and wide-eyed. They speak in soft voices in the night when the blinding lights go off. There was once talk of freedom and justice, but now they just comfort each other through the worst of it. It's more than Yuri could have asked for. Wonders if he would have felt as protective of them if they had met in any other circumstance._

_He stops allowing himself to care. After they bring in a boy with dark eyes and an undercut, a teen instead of the children they usually capture, he stops trying. Otabek doesn't scream like the others when his mutation fails, but Yuri sobs all the same as his body goes still. Victor and Mila cry for him, for the vain attempt at a connection he'd tried to make with a man on death row._

_There is no room for friendship in a place like this. He only has Victor and Mila._

_He forces his body through their tests, attempting flight with weights strapped to his ankles. Simulated storms, hollow needles pushed all the way into his bones to test the density. How much pain he can withstand, how his body adapts to the night hours. There is no telling time in the hell space, and he gave up trying months ago._

_Then they bring in more._

_They come in a large group. Four, Yuri counts. They are separated, and one is placed next to Yuri’s cage. At first he can't tell what the person even looks like, an endless sea of black the only thing he can discern. The figure shudders and trembles in silence, ignoring the soft clicks and avian cries of his flock._

_Yuri tries to hate him. Hates the way they cry the man’s name, because it's his name. Hates the man’s weakness. At least Yuri had dignity. Until finally he kicks the bars between them and shouts._

_“Get the fuck up! Stop moping, you're wasting your energy!”_

_The rest of the flock goes wild. Yuri has never seen the power of an enraged flock, his own (if that's what they are to each other these days) far too tired and hopeless to try any longer. So he can't help the way he startles as the other avians scream in their birdlike vocals, powerful wings beating the bars until the cages shake, garbled furious curses spitting vitriol at him. It's...frankly terrifying. He hunkers back, refusing to cower but nonetheless intimidated as he glares at them silently._

_Victor and Mila hiss and angle their wings, though even their eyes betray their shock._

_Who are these people?_

_A quiet coo comes from the man beside him, and the flock goes immediately silent, leaving Yuri’s ears ringing at the abrupt cessation. Even he turns, watching as beautiful wings unfurl to show their soft crimson underbellies. And red tinged brown eyes that lift to stare at Yuri._

_There is no judgment there, in fact a weak smile pulls at the stranger’s lips. Yuri realizes he hadn't been breathing when the other Yuuri turns his head and looks to his flock, releasing him from that intense gaze._

_“I'm okay,” he says quietly, and the rest of the flock subside so immediately that the institution flock can't help but stare._

_Who were these avians? So in tune with their wild nature, so close to one another._

_Yuri can't help but be curious as they exchange soft, vague words. Keenly aware of the prying eyes and ears from the other winged humans._

_And that's how Yuri first meets Yuuri._

_\------_

_As the days go by, the lines are drawn in the imaginary sand. There is the Institution Flock and the School Flock. Over time they open up, trading stories and explaining where they came from, how they know each other._

_Phichit does most of the talking._

_They had been raised in the School. Had suffered the same abuse as the Institution, if not worse from the way Yuuri flinches when Phichit’s words falter like he isn't sure how much he should reveal. Except...they had all gathered under Minako, who as the eldest had helped raise them. She'd been working at the School, a double agent who had helped free the children. When they were recaptured four years later, she was subjected to the treatment. They had believed only children could withstand the mutation, but Minako had proven them wrong. It was not without its excruciating pain, but at least she had lived._

_They escaped a second time because of Yuuri, but none of the avians would say how. When Yuri asked Yuuri directly, the man had turned away and hunched over in his cage shaking for the rest of the night._

_Yuri didn't ask again._

_Victor was enamoured with the flock, and Mila seemed relieved to finally have another woman somewhere in the group. But Yuri couldn't help but remain wary. He had learned long ago not to love or hope, because rebellion was swiftly and cruelly ended. And Yuri had rebelled the most out of all of them._

_After a burn treatment he is thrown back to his cage, half conscious and out of his mind with pain. Yuuri is there, though. And Yuri finally understands why the man was so lovable as the raven reaches through the bars and lays gentle, cool fingers on Yuri’s skin._

_The pain begins to disappear. The burns diminishing like he is watching them reverse in hyper speed, leaving his skin unblemished. He only realizes what's going on when Minako starts screaming at Yuuri, and he turns over and sees black wings shaking and trembling as burns appear on Yuuri’s body before slowly blackening into something akin to a tattoo._

_He's crying silently, jaw clenched against the screams Yuri had emitted during the torture. He's not just taking the pain away, he's taking each injury onto himself._

_Yuri jerks away immediately, severing the link as Yuuri slides weakly to lay back against the bars, covered in a film of sweat and eyes dazed and distant._

_By morning the marks are gone and Yuuri is fine, but Yuri doesn't forget after that. The man had selflessly saved him, and Yuri was begrudgingly in his debt._

_\------_

_January 24th, everything changes._

_Yuuri had insinuated himself into the doctors of the Institution. They praise his obedience, the blank stare and empty smile that Yuuri presents to them flawlessly. He's like an actor, and Yuri doesn't know why the School flock quietly and tearfully object. He doesn't know what happens in the back rooms, where doctors do more than lay a proprietary hand on Yuuri’s soft black hair. Doesn't know how Yuuri plays coy and greedy to keep them all safe from a fate his mind dances around recognizing._

_And the one day in the dead of night, Yuuri unfurls from his roosting and everyone’s eyes snap open at the soft jangle of keys. Yuuri slips out first, and the Institution flock look stunned and lifeless. They don't know how to hope, how to believe in this soft-voiced, talented man who rushes to swiftly but silently unlock the cages of his own flock before turning and unlocking Yuri’s._

_A hand is offered to him. They lock eyes, and Yuri slowly puts his hand in Yuuri’s and steps out of his cage on his own for the first time in his memory._

_Yuuri smiles._

_And Yuri falls._

_\------_

_Escape isn't as easy as simply walking out, however._

_The Institution flock don't know how to fight, but as they rush through the corridors Minako huffs quick explanations. Basics that the trio try to commit to memory; heel of the palm is most powerful without risking a broken finger, stomping on toes were an easy way to escape basic grab holds, biting through a human finger required roughly the same power as biting a carrot, and ears were torn with minimal pressure._

_Mila takes this all with a gleam in her eye, and Victor merely looks grim. Except Yuri can't help but speak up._

_“How do we fly?”_

_The youngest, Minami, turns and levels them with a look meant to reassure._

_“Instinct will take over! And if not we’re strong enough to carry you until we hit high enough for you to glide and to achieve cloud cover!”_

_And then out of nowhere a technician tackles the boy. He squawks in alarm, and his flock react immediately, Minako kicking the woman in the head swiftly, making her arch back and release the boy with a cry of pain. Minako scrambles to his feet as Phichit pulls him along, and they sprint for the end of the corridor._

_The moon is beautiful, is all Yuri has time to think before he sees a glimmer of red in the starlight as Yuuri’s wings stir the earth and he's airborne. Yuri can't help but be dazzled even as shouts start up from inside the facility, in pursuit of the runaways._

_“FLY! GO!” Victor is screaming in his ears, shoving Yuri farther out into the yard. Yuuri is keeping eyes on all angles, swooping down in powerful arcs of his wings to aid as the scientists flood out of the door. Victor is jumped on, beefy arms squeezing around the man’s neck and dragging him backward and down. Silver wings beat furiously at the air, hands clawing at the forearm around his neck._

_“Victor!” Yuri cries and leaps to help, instinctively grabbing the stranger’s hair and ripping backward until the man bellows and releases Victor._

_Then he turns on Yuri, punching wildly trying to subdue and stun, and he can only hear the ringing in his ears. Until the man is ripped off, and Yuri watches in stunned horror as Yuuri grabs both sides of the man’s face, closes his eyes, and yanks._

_The body crumples to the earth, and Yuuri is hyperventilating, tears streaking down his cheeks as he yanks Yuri up off the ground._

_It's not the first casualty. But it's the first time he's ever seen a murder._

_Yuuri stares him in the eyes in the midst of the chaos and speaks._

_“Beat your wings. They'll take care of the rest.” Then he's gone, a shrieking avian scream of anger in his throat as he leaps upon the back of one of the doctors pinning Minami to the ground._

_Victor stabilizes him, and he looks terrified as he begins to beat his wings as hard as he can, feet lifting unsteadily from the ground. Phichit swoops in and yells encouragement, and Yuri knows he should be following his flock. Mila is already airborne, hovering uncertainly._

_Instead he turns and races to find Yuuri, shoving away white coats until Yuuri has the space to snap his wings and powerfully shove aside the others, grinning Minami to his chest and leaping into the skies. Yuri’s heart lurches into his throat as the pale man sways beneath the added weight, wings beating faster to make up for it. Then he spirals in the air and those ruby eyes plead with Yuri on the ground._

_His wings tremble nervously, but he pushes them down nonetheless. It takes a few tries until his feet finally lift from the ground, unused and unformed muscles in his back aching beneath the new freedom his wings are allowed. And then...and then it's like breathing._

_Minami stirs in Yuuri’s grip, and Yuri can hear the hum of gentle encouraging words as golden red wings finally begin to beat on their own._

_Yuri drifts back over to Victor and Mila, flying on the fringe of the other flock as they fly into the night and into freedom._

_It almost doesn't feel real._

_\------_

_They fly until they can't anymore. And then they do it again and again every day for two weeks._

_The other flock teaches the trio how to bathe in the rivers and streams, how to circulate the natural oils of their wings until they gleam. How to fly, how to hide their wings beneath jackets so they can walk unnoticed in the city limits to obtain food._

_Minami knows how to charm, and he has the quickest fingers of the group for pickpocketing and stealing. Minako acquires little under the table jobs, having been human so much longer than them. If they remembered ever being human at all. Phichit could sweet talk anyone into anything, could ease the suspicion from anyone’s eyes._

_And Yuuri?_

_Yuuri was like the hearth that kept them warm. The one who traced maplines and spoke of things like home and safety. Flying for fun, learning to live. He is the best flyer of them all, and it's like Yuri can hear songs in his head when he watches Yuuri fly in the evening sunlight. He teaches them with a gentle guiding hand, even when Yuri gets so frustrated he screams and storms away._

_Yuuri is the one who finds it for them. An abandoned cabin with a glistening lake._

_And for years, they learn to live. They fix up the cabin, they even manage to buy it officially beneath fake names. They train, they learn to fight, they live humbly but they live and that's better than nothing. Than torture._

_And Yuri falls in love with a shy man with eyes like warm coals and wings as dark as obsidian. And when he kisses him for the first time, Yuri finally understands why humans say that love feels like flying._

\------

The sun peeks above the valley’s hillside, and their instincts awaken them as the first rays color the droplets into iridescent rainbows. It's as if nature seeks to outshine all previous notions of beauty to wipe away the memory of the dark storm that had passed.

The sun against his back dries Yuri’s clothes, and he cracks open his eyes. His joints are stiff and agonizing, he's half frozen and sure to ache for the next few days. But Yuuri dozes quietly in his lap, soft whistling and little squeaks passing through his lips as he dreams. That's good enough for Yuri.

The younger watches him sleep, loosening his muscles as he unfurls his wings and stretches them to the top of the cavern, then out to the sides, and finally backwards until the primaries kiss behind his spine. It's enough to limber his torso without awakening the man curled around him. Yuri can't even make himself smile at the comparison between his body and a lifeline, because too many times it had proven true.

Even Yuuri, his own little sleeping beauty, could not resist the temptation of the sun against his wings for long however. Twitches his nose and clings tighter to Yuri as black and red wings arch out instinctively towards the sunshine at the mouth of the cavern, letting the filaments dry properly. Until finally he deigns to open his eyes, and they help each other to their feet. Neither are very comfortable considering the manner they'd slept in, but they've run and flown on less. It will have to do until the can reunite with their flock.

They face the horizon together, wings spread wide as they sun themselves, pinkie fingers loosely intertwined. Even when their stomachs grumble and they try to dry out their stubbornly damp and clinging clothes, neither complain. It's better than death or being captured. Being alive and together was more than enough some days.

“Ready?” It's such a simple word, and they've barely spoken since they woke up, but they don't need to. Yuri’s general hotheaded nature is tempered by the solitude, by being on the run once more. There's no need for that around Yuuri most days anyway. Yuuri was more often the reason he smiled.

One stretches across his lips right then as Yuuri turns to him, shadows falling attractively across his face as the sun warms their bodies, an answering smile on Yuuri’s features. Long pale fingers reach out and sweep Yuri’s bangs away from his face, fingertips lingering for a few moments. Yuri can't help but lean forward and kiss him softly, relishing the softness of his mate’s lips, the familiarity of his touch. Yuuri hums contentedly beneath the kiss, and they part reluctantly. They'd killed enough time as it was.

Backpacks are helped on, sliding the loosened straps over their wings and securing the chest straps before they walk together to the edge of the little shelter they'd taken cover within. Yuuri leaps first, black wings glittering in iridescent hues beneath the sunlight, a few powerful strokes and he's settling upon the airstream, waiting for Yuri to come to him.

The tawny hawk doesn't keep him waiting. There's no fear in stepping off the edge, massive wingspan keeping his body aloft in a motion as familiar and easily ignored as breathing. He glides higher, tailing Yuuri who is doing loose rolls in the sky, warming up. As the older man levels out, dark hair tousled and naturally pleasant expression evening out the dark circles beneath his eyes, Yuri lets his closest wing brush lightly against the silky expanse of Yuuri’s.

With a smile they cease their hovering, putting the sun at their backs and letting their wings carry them across the miles. Flying higher, avoiding detection, their warm coats cutting through the chill of the lighter atmosphere.

Except Yuuri still looks pensive. Uneasy.

Yuri can't blame him when he feels the same. Not having their flock nearby was like missing a limb, phantom pains aching where the rest of the group should rightfully be. Still, he drifts closer, timing the best of their wings so he can roll place a hand on Yuuri’s back.

Yuuri tilts his head, not even bothering to conceal the anxiety on his face. Yuri squeezes Yuuri’s hip through his jeans, trying to convey his own determination and hope. Words were not easy in the air, but they knew each other's body language well enough to render them moot anyway. Yuuri’s tight feature relax just a little, and Yuri lets his wings carry him back to a farther distance.

Their meeting place for emergencies was not far. He only prayed that the others would be there, setting up camp or sunning their wings between the gaps in the tree boughs, sighing their little bird noises and filling the area with their familiar life and chatter. It was the only thing that would settle Yuuri’s heart.

Until they arrived, however, there was nothing more he could do to try and comfort his mate. Nothing but the buoyant air beneath his wings and Yuuri at his side to carry him through to where their mismatched family awaited their safe return.

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little drabble! LuluBean and I are thinking of making this a full series, multi-chapter style. If you'd be interested in that I would love love love to know!
> 
> Also I uploaded this on my phone because I'm lazy so sorry for the constant edits.


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